Oh, Susannah! (and Ruth and Clemmie!)

Well after midnight I noticed an update to my shared albums and discovered these wonderful pictures of my grandchildren. It is very hard to be 2000 miles away during these early years of such dramatic growth and change and maturing. Look how our Susannah, supposed to be the baby, has become a little girl without notifying us. How I love these little creatures.

 

GrandGirls Today

 These three pictures appeared on Instagram today

Then they surprised me with a FaceTime call. How I love to get these calls. Clem immediately wanted a story. I asked her if she knew which story she wanted and she said she wanted the raccoon story. It's call Joe and I learned it from Abenaki storyteller Joe Bruchak. So I told an abbreviated version of it. 

Here are a few screen shots from the call. Some are a bit fuzzy but I preserve 'em here anyway. (Ruth's immodest attire made photos of her more difficult than the other two!)

The view during the call from our end often looked like this with Brannon buried under a wriggling mass of little girls. Susannah especially wanted to pile onto things, but Clem and Ruth added to the disorder. Poor Mom!

With brief exception, Susannah was in a joyful mood. 

Clem seemed to really enjoy the story.

During the call Ruth sat for as portrait by Clementine.

The finished portrait of Ruth

While her sisters were otherwise occupied Susannah got some lap time...

...and seemed quite pleased.

I thought only fair that I get a portrait as well... somehow I missed getting a photo of mine.

.. but here is the portrait of Granny.

 Is this Clemmie's self-portrait?

Papa's Banjo

 It has been a real joy for Sheila and me together to know Danny and Renata Carlin, our daughters in-laws. They have become our friends. We have stayed in each others' homes - theirs much more often than ours. We have shared a campsite. We have shared a weekend music festival. We have fished together. Walked the dogs together. Watched football and baseball together. And done a lot of eating together. I am so glad that our grandgirls have such a fine Papa and Gamma only three miles from their home. 

I admit I AM a little jealous! 😉

Here little Clementine is mesmerized with "Papa's" banjo on this day in 2019.

Ornaments

Mail call was so important to my Daddy and his buddies during World War II. On the little Ulithi atoll in the Pacific Daddy was separated from his two young daughters by the huge expanse the world's largest ocean and a whole continent besides. I am getting a tiny taste of that, separated as I am from my three little granddaughters... and at Christmas time. So when I retrieved my mail from the front porch this afternoon, what a thrill to see this envelope. I wonder if the wildlife stamp with a tree frog was chosen especially for me? ...

.... and especially to see the signature on the reverse, "Clem" with a heart drawn in the same hand...

Inside the envelope were TWO Christmas ornaments. The first was just little Susannah from her first Christmas  a year ago... 

The Second has the whole Carlin family...

These will hang on our tree every year from here on out.

Granny & GrandShaw Grand Adventure 2022 - 9/22

We parked at the library and took the Riverwalk toward the Town Green.

Once we arrived at the Town Green it wasn't long before the kids were in the water!

But there was always time for a snack break.

And everyone had to have sunscreen.

Clemmie and Ruthie played Queen of the Hill 

Then we noticed Ellen Axson Wilson standing there at her easel by the John Ross Bridge. We decided she needed some encouragement to finish her painting. We couldn't tell that she'd made any progress at all! So Clem went too have a talk with her.

And Ruthie followed.

They encouraged nicely, they cajoled, they scolded. To no avail. 

Over and over they ran to the bridge to talk with Ellen but she just wouldn't listen.

As far as we know that lazy woman is still standing there looking at her canvas, but making no more strokes with her brush.

Finally the girls gave up on her and had a seat on a swing with Granny.

A nice passerby agreed to let Grandshaw have a seat and took a picture of all five of us. (Brannon had left on an errand.)

By the time we got back to Avenue A we were ready to rest, but Suzie was still going strong.